Louis Charles Charlo Day – An Unknown American Indian who Planted a Flag at Iwo Jima

Everyone knows the photo above. It’s the flag planting at Iwo Jima by US soldiers. But did you know that it wasn’t the first planted that day? It was definitely the best photo taken. It’s practically orchestrated and staged. It’s that good compositionally. But Louis Charles Charlo, an American Indian was part of the first planting earlier that day and is pretty much written out of it’s history. How can that be? Ira Hayes, another American Indian was part of the photo above but why not give credits to Charlo? Well, today is November 7th, I doubt it has a huge significance, but why not, it’s Louis Charles Charlo Day. (Indian Country Today – Louis Charlo)